Look at that handy little introduction they give to all the characters, their relationships and all the background information to their interactions and the general plot up to this point. Its like a built-in previously. No wonder Tom gets it. Shame there isn’t an opening title sequence to do all that though, less effectively. Cos you know, those informative title sequences are really key. It’s no good if they just look all swish and classy, they need to educate. Like that special educating bit at the start does. Oooh I know, maybe they should play that bit twice…

Maybe I’m just nitpicking but there is something fundamental that bothers me about the covert way our lovely Jen gets into the CIA headquarters. We see her doing all her cloak-and-dagger routine, she is jogging through a park (nicely justified inclusion of Jennifer Garner jogging, by the way) when she requests her covert entry, and is monitored for terrible SD-6 security fiends on her tail. As such, her scenes to follow within the CIA headquarters then show her attired in her sweaty jogging gear (again, nicely justified). BUT later on this same episode, and most others this season she appears at CIA either dressed in her disguise from the mission she has just returned from, or in normal everyday clothing, which makes me think, how is she getting in those other times? I think perhaps they just cant justify having her in the jogging gear for 75% of each episode. But its an unexplained flaw and it grates my cheese.

My favourite character in Alias has to be Marshall. In the first season, the first few episodes, I brushed him off as an overstated geek. But he’s just so endearing. I hope they let him out of the office soon, I’d like to see him in action…

Simple minds, simple pleasures: One of the nicest touches to this ep was that the high tech luge Marshall and his team were creating for Sydney’s mission was not yet built. I had previously pondered if they were meant to have all these tricky gizmo’s stashed away in a cupboard somewhere already designed just waiting for a mission where they might be useful, or whether Sydney’s tools of trade were designed on a need basis. Its the little things adding up that make this show as well thought out as it seems: Marshall apologetically explains her gizmo of the day currently under construction.

The actual luge sequence however? Oh, come on. The formula one sound effect, while amusing, did not fit with the other elements of the sequence, or perhaps it’s the other way around. My point is, she was traveling at 100mph or so, complete with f1 sound effects as she went flying round those corners, and yet her face was not wind swept back at all and her body was perfectly stable lying on that there luge. Wouldn’t you bounce around a bit and have your head nearly bob off your shoulders if you were going that fast? I’ve hooned around Sandown in a Sprite with nothing but roll bar stopping the wind and I tell you your neck does not stay on your head straight. I’m really nitpicking now, I know, but Alias gets the character stuff really well, and the little eccentricities on the mark, and even has an intelligent, intriguing overall story arc happening, and yet their action sequences, which according to their advertising is the only thing the show consists of, is so flawed. Enough grated cheese this week for a medium margherita…

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This entry was posted by the illustrious Shannon Jones on Saturday, August 16th, 2003. It concerns such pressing issues as . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.